


A cat's nine lives

by Nisie



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 13:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13032351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nisie/pseuds/Nisie
Summary: Kurusu Akira had a dream, ever since meeting the ace detective Akechi Goro. The Akechi Goro in his dream always have different expressions, despite the detective being nothing but pleasant.





	A cat's nine lives

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer : I don't own Persona 5 nor the characters. 
> 
> This is my first persona 5 fic. I've written lots of metas and fanfic ideas but I never write one myself so here's one.

The Akechi Goro in my dream was always smiling. 

 

I couldn't remember what he was saying to me. He told me many things, but his expression never changed. Always with that pleasant smile. Sometimes he'd chuckle, made little winks, then laugh. That was an expression of a friendly guy. Yet, why do I feel wrong about it? 

 

After our second meeting, the Akechi Goro in my dream changed. Akechi became more confident. He was still smiling, yet his eyes were narrow. Looking at me like a hawk preying on a rat. He was suspecting me. He'd sneer at me. Pointed his finger on me. Then said something at which I couldn't remember. 

 

The third time we met, the Akechi Goro in my dream changed again. He didn't sneer at me anymore. This time he was sitting on the corner bar stool of Leblanc, sipping on his coffee. He'd look at me with sad smile. He barely look at me. He didn't talk much. He just stared at his coffee cup, and then sometimes told me something. I still couldn't remember what he was saying. This version of Akechi made my heart ache a little. But that's about it. 

 

Fourth time was my mistake. I realized that it must have come from something I said, but now the Akechi Goro in my dream is always welcoming me home. Sometimes he's in the corner of leblanc, sipping his coffee like usual. Some other time he was working on some paperwork. Sometimes I see him lost in thought, and he'd become embarrassed when I caught him in that state. The fourth Akechi felt like a lie. In a way, it was indeed a lie. Since such a gentle Akechi never existed in the real life. The Akechi in the real life always wear that plastic smile, like a perfectly plastered mask. 

 

Fifth, Akechi's smile disappeared. He was staring at me with a disappointed face. Probably upset. He didn't say a thing. Everytime I see him in the dream, he'd just stare at me for a while, then walked past me after saying something. I never turned my back to see him after he left. But at one time I did, he had a guilty look on his face. And it felt as if he was about to cry. 

 

After the fifth, the Akechi in real life started showing more expression too. Probably because we started meeting a lot more often too. His surprised face when I brought him to the confessional booth, his look of fear when I mentioned spicy takoyaki, and his slightly eager face when I mentioned pancake. I figured that the Akechi in real life was not that much different from the ones from my dream. We bantered with each other like a childhood friend. It was satisfying to see him like this. Could he finally drop his plastic mask around us? I'd like to believe so. 

 

When Akechi joined the phantom thieves, the Akechi in my dream is not Akechi but Crow. Crow was playful. He was curious with many things. He waved his light saber like a kid with a new toy. When he made a great job in a battle, he'd make a little dance to show his happiness. When we find a treasure chest and it contains a weapon he could use, he'd tighten his fist with joy and immediately equipped it. Crow was different than Akechi. If I could explain in one word, that would be... dramatic. Perhaps that was also why his outfit is also so flashy. But I didn't hate it. Akechi was a man with many emotions, and Crow is also part of him. 

 

However,

 

Perhaps, I was wrong after all. 

 

I found out that all these Akechi I've known, the Akechi which I've become comfortable with, the Akechi which never failed to appear in my dream, they're all lies. The plastic mask which I thought have fell off when he joined us, he didn't remove it. Both Akechi and Crow that was our friend, was just another mask he build to gain our trust. The Akechi behind those fake smiles was a... demon. A cold blooded demon who could end someone's life without batting an eye. 

 

And yet, despite everything, Akechi still didn't fail to appear in my dream. The seventh Akechi in my dream would point his gun at me with an evil smirk. He'd laugh as he pulled the trigger and shot me in the head. The seventh Akechi was a lunatic. 

 

The eight was the last time I ever see Akechi in my dream. And probably, the closest to the real Akechi. The eight was... a mess. The eight Akechi screamed at me. Anger and hatred spill out from his voice. The eight Akechi can laugh like a maniac in one second, and went on rampage on the next second. The eight Akechi had blood-shot eyes and would strangle me when our eyes met.

The eight Akechi would throw a tantrum. But it always finished with him crying, and told me. _"If only we met sooner."_   

The dream always ended with him in a lifeless state. Sometimes he gets shot in the head by his cognition version. Sometimes a wall would separate us before I could say anything to him. The eight Akechi always died in my dream. 

 

But the ninth, wasn't a dream. 

 

 _"... what are you looking at?"_   The ninth Akechi, was the Akechi without his mask. Irritation was all over his face. His plastic smile disappeared completely. 

 

 **"I was just thinking that you look good with a ponytail."** And then red blush appeared on his face. 

 

 _"Did you just- What the heck, Akira!"_ Akechi's face was completely red, and he tried to hide it with the back of his hand. Though, he removed his hand after quickly regaining his composure. 

 

 **"Aw, are you embarrassed, honey? I have a better idea. Why don't you wear the apron as well? Or perhaps I could ask Kawakami-sensei to lend me her maid outfit so you can-"** Yet before I finished, a knife was pointed in front of my face.  

 

 _"Shut up and continue working."_   It was the cold-blooded face Akechi. Minus the evil smirk though. 

 

 **"Yes Ma'am."**  Akechi was... alive. After he shot the emergency breaker and activated the shutter door to help us escape, we thought he was dead. I believed he was. And I was lost. That in the end he gave me a parting smile. I thought that would be the last face I see from him. Him in that beaten and bloody state, him being the only person I couldn't save. 

 

Yet here he is, helping out in Leblanc's kitchen with me. 

 

Sae-san was the one who found him. Gravely injured in front of the diet building. They treated his injuries, and after some time resting, he finally woke up. He was silent at first. Perhaps too broken to talk. But slowly, he started cooperating, and he agreed to be put on trial. He agreed to accept his punishment. Sae-san helped him as his defense attorney. And that was probably the first time I ever see Akechi Goro's face with an expression where he was so surprised yet moved at the same time that he could almost cry.

 

How he came to help on Leblanc was his attempt in paying for his actions. He didn't just work on Leblanc. He came to help everyone else too. He helped Haru by giving advice on her job as the president of the Okumura company. He helped Futaba with her homework. Though she doesn't really need it, she just made fun of him, actually. Most of the time, she made him buy her snacks. He helped Sae-san as assistant sometimes too. Though he had to wear a face mask and a hat when he went with her on her job to avoid being noticed by people. He even helped Yusuke by becoming his model. 

 

 _"Say,"_ Akechi suddenly said. _"How come you didn't resent me?"_   He asked. His voice was breaking. He must have mustered all his courage to ask me that question. 

 

**"What do you mean?"**

 

 _"Don't play dumb, Akira. You're smarter than this."_ He glared at me. The second time of the day now. 

 

**"Well, I just realized, that whichever face you wear, you're still you. Whichever Akechi you are, you're still Akechi. We're wild cards with many faces, and we're made up of all those personas. Don't you think the same?"**

 

 _"I'm afraid... I couldn't understand what you're trying to say, Akira."_ Akechi looked down, contemplating on my words. 

 

I let out a chuckle. **"What I'm trying to say is, I like you the way you are. Whether you're being an ass or incredibly cute, you're still the Goro Akechi I've come to trust and be friends with."**

 

 _"...You really don't hold anything back do you?"_ Akechi turned his face away. I could bet he's embarrassed right now though. Actually, it's visible through the tips of his red ear. 

 

 **"I have Lionhearted Guts and Debonair Charm you know."**  I said with a little smirk as I fixed my glasses. 

 

It seems like Akechi has chosen to ignore me though. 

 

 **"What, no reaction? No fun."**  And with that, I returned to washing the dishes. 

 

 _"..-ank you."_ There was a small whisper. Well, I know it isn't Morgana's voice. 

 

 **"What was that? I couldn't hear it, can you speak louder?"** I cupped my ear with one hand and scooted closer to him. He scooted further though. 

 

 _"You-! You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"_ It seems like he's so embarrassed he could cry now. 

 

 **"No I'm not. Come on. Let me hear it clearly."**  

 

 _"Fine, but I'm only saying this once, okay?"_ Akechi put down the dishes he's doing, and faced my direction. 

 

 _"...Thank you, for accepting me, Akira."_  Oh God, I wish Futaba placed a hidden camera somewhere. I hope she still have this place bugged so I can get at least a voice recording of this though. 

 

**"... Now this is rare, Goro being honest? Futaba will definitely love to see this."**

 

 _"S-shut up!"_ Akechi fumed. 

 

The ninth Akechi, was just Akechi being himself.

 

He could still kill a person (probably), like that one time where someone was bothering Futaba in the alley when she went to Leblanc at late night because she left something. Good thing Morgana was with her that he could run and inform us. When I went to fetch a cop, the thugs were already taken care by Akechi. With their nose probably broken and arms dislocated. 

 

He could still be the energetic, playful Crow. Especially when Ryuji came over with Yusuke and we spent the night playing games at the attic. He'd compete with Ryuji, mock him when he won, or grow frustrated when he couldn't win. 

 

He could still be the charismatic detective. Like that one time he helped Haru speaking against the other higher ups, or when he helped Sae and Makoto with their attorney agency. 

 

He still welcomed me home when I have to run an errand out.

 

He still stare at his coffee cup and get lost in thought when he thought I didn't notice.

 

But he's still Akechi. And that's all he is. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very sorry if I failed to nail their characters right. But in my head both of them are really just a mess of emotion (especially Akechi). And Akira is just... the joker he is. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! Please do leave kudos if you like~ I might make the Akira version of this... one day.


End file.
